Racquetball looks like a daunting sport to play with the ball bouncing heavily in a closed court. But with the right racquetball equipment, racquets, gloves, balls, clubs, supplies, and most of all attitude, the game becomes a fun albeit challenging experience. Too costly? Not really, because with the popularity and following the game has, sporting goods manufacturers produced a variety of equipment that could fit any budget.
The basic racquetball equipment set you need to start playing includes a ball and a racquet. Accessories like the gloves, grips, protective goggles, and other supplies are for safety and improvement of playing skills. Though these accessories can't guarantee that you'll win your first game, at least they'll keep possible bruises, muscle pains, and losing points difference to a minimum.
The first equipment you must pay attention to is your racquet. As a general rule, the more expensive the racquet, the better it is. But for starters, a medium-priced racquet will do just fine. Aluminum-framed racquets are cheap but you'll have to exert extra effort for more power. They also cause too much vibration making them harder to hold steady. Advanced players prefer the more expensive titanium or graphite frames because of the power these racquets give. These are basically light racquets for ease of maneuvers on the court. Balls and clubs are usually standardized, hence, whatever you buy is just fine. The differences between high-priced balls and clubs from lower-priced ones are so subtle that they are rendered insignificant.
Gloves are just like racquets. This is where price difference again come into play. Better quality gloves are generally more expensive. But before settling for cheaper gloves, consider this: The gloves, aside from helping you to hold and steady your racquet, also protects your hand from blistering. They also prevent possible wrist injuries. The blisters that cheap gloves might give you can dampen your interest in the sport even before you have fully-experienced it. Another body safety item is the goggles. These protect your eyes from possibly getting hit by the ball because of too slow reflexes. With these on, you needn't to worry about coming out of the court with bleeding eyes.
Lastly, before buying any racquetball equipment, racquets, gloves, balls, clubs, supplies, and other racquetball gears, it is important to do simple tests. Check the comfort of the goggles and the gloves. Grip the racquet and give it a few swings. It's no use buying top quality equipment if you're not comfortable using them. Aside from the right gear, confidence and attitude will serve you in your game.
But you'll find your scores mount when you have equipment fitted to your individual specifications. When you buy a ball your bowling proprietor or his pro shop will drill it for you at no charge. If you're really serious about bowling, you should buy your own ball and have it drilled for your own physical make-up. It's like buying a tailor-made suit. It will fit you perfectly; it's yours alone.
Today bowling balls come in almost all colors and weights. There was a time when almost all balls were black, and their weights were always sixteen pounds or very close to it. Now that women have taken up the sport however, bowling balls come in almost every hue; and the weights range from ten pounds to sixteen, though never more than sixteen. Black models retail for about $25; other colors and mottled balls are slightly more than that.
Bowling balls are made of hard rubber. The lighter weight balls contain a cork center, and cost about the same as the sixteen pounders.
Here's a good test to determine whether the thumb hole fits properly: place your thumb in the ball and turn your hand back and forth, clockwise and counter-clockwise. If you feel just the slightest bit of friction, the thumb fit is a good one. The thumb shouldn't stick at all; it should be a bit on the loose side.
The finger holes of a well-fitted ball will be neither too tight nor too loose.
The span - the distance between the finger holes and the thumb holes - can be determined in this manner: insert your thumb fully into the thumb hole and then extend the two middle fingers over the finger holes. The second, or middle, crease of these fingers should be directly over the finger holes if the ball's span is a proper one for you.
You can also test the span by fully inserting the thumb and the fingers. If the second or middle crease of the finger extends beyond one-half of the ball, the span is too narrow. Conversely, if the second crease does not reach the inner edge of the hole, the span is too wide. Remember, an ill-fitting bowling ball will feel twice its weight.
I really think one of the fascinating aspects of bowling is that so many decisions in the sport are left up to the individual. An instructor shouldn't prescribe what weight ball you ought to use unless he's had many opportunities to see you in action.
Almost all bowling balls today are of the three-fingered variety, although at one time two-fingered balls were the only kind used. Nowadays the two-fingered style is something of a rarity, although a couple of the leading pros still use them. Ed Lubanski of Detroit won the 1958 World's Championship with a two-finger grip. But generally it's felt that the three-finger style is easier to hold; it's more comfortable and it's controlled a lot more easily.
I recommend that you own your own bowling shoes too. They range in price from $7.50 to $10, or even $20 for a really elegant pair. Bowling shoes are of a special variety.
The sole of the right shoe is rubber, to help you to brake or slow down as you approach the foul line; it also gives you the necessary traction as you start. The sole of the left shoe is leather, allowing that foot to slide on the fourth or final step.
You'll also need a bowling bag to carry your equipment in, and these range in price from $7 to $40 or $50. You can purchase a small bag, for carrying the shoes alone, for about $2.50.
Any good comfortable sport shirt is fine for bowling. Just be certain it gives you full freedom of movement and that it doesn't hamper your arm-swing at all.
Both Andrew Corner & Jimmy Cox are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.